THE annual Stockton Heath Festival will this year, for the first time
ever, be held in June – a full fortnight before the traditional village
Walking Day.
When the festival was launched, six years ago, it coincided with the
100-plus-year-old Walk. But last year the two 
events were separated –
without affecting support for either.
This year, the festival will span four action-packed days from June 20-23 while Walking Day will be on Saturday, July 6.
The festival team is now headed by co-directors Sue Clarke and Deborah Cook, following the retirement of founder Tudor Pole.
Great
things are planned, building on the success of last year when record
numbers of people visited from all over Cheshire and beyond and most
shows sold out.
A wide range of entertainment has been lined up and
the festival’s main site will again be in Mill Lane, but with some
events taking place in other surrounding areas.
Sue Clarke said: “We
have a bumper programme this year as we want to appeal to all ages and
interests . Our aim is to provide a variety of high quality shows and
events. It also gives people the chance to have a great local night out
at very reasonable prices. Most of all we want everyone to enjoy
themselves.”
Events manager Andrew Renshaw said: “There will be a
mixture of festival favourites returning and some new 
ideas. We have a
wide choice of shows and concerts each evening. This year we will be
having lots more free family entertainment on the Saturday and Sunday
daytime.”
Drama, music, heritage and special interest events will feature strongly.
During
the day there are local history and genealogy talks on Thursday and
Friday. For the children there is a production of Charlotte’s Web on
Saturday afternoon and the return of Presto Puppets on the Sunday.
Each evening is offering three contrasting events, catering for different tastes.
Thursday
night June 20 has the Managers Big Band in the marquee, the Orpheus
Male Voice Choir in concert at St Thomas’s Church and the Comedy Night
at the Cape.
Friday night has Showtime with CODYS and Priestley
College Performing Arts Students in the marquee, a Folk Evening in
Appleton with Bram Taylor and the Country Folk and comedy drama from the
Stockton Heath Methodist Drama Group.
Saturday night has a Ceilidh
in the marquee, Oddsocks in the walled garden at Grappenhall Heyes
performing Shakespear’s “The Comedy of Errors” and a pop up cinema at
Appleton showing Oscar winning film The Artist.
For the grand finale on the Sunday night top Queen tribute band QE11 will be rocking Stockton Heath.
There
will be an art exhibition at Grappenhall, where local artists can
display and sell their work. There will be a preview evening on June 19
and the exhibition will be open June 20-22.
Arts and Crafts and
Farmers Markets will be held on the Saturday and Sunday and the popular
scarecrow competition will again take place around the village with the
public able to vote for their favourite.
There will be boat trips on
the Bridgewater Canal from Thorn Marine, the allotments at Walton will
be open to the public and a family fun dog show run by The Merseyside
Retired Greyhound Trust will take place on the Sunday.
A grand draw will give people an opportunity to support the festival and win great prizes.
The festival will be supported by Stockton Heath and Appleton Parish Councils and a large number of local businesses
A
number of charities and other good causes will benefit from the
festival including Macmillan Nurses, The Merseyside Retired Greyhound
Trust , Grappenhall Walled Garden, RSBP, The Credit Union, Walton Lea
Project and Marie Curie. Another local charity, still to be announced,
will get the money raised at the finale night raffle.
The festival
team would welcome more help from volunteers and anyone who wants to get
involved should contact Claire at
[email protected]
More details are available from the website www.stocktonheathfestival.co.uk
Pictured: Sue Clarke (top) and Deborah Cook.
